Health Care isn’t Among my Pregnancy Fears – GP #10

It took me a little while this morning to figure out what would be the subject of today’s gratitude project post. It’s hard to feel much gratitude when you’re exhausted and sleep deprived. But after reading a blog post from Mum on the Brink, I realized exactly what I’m most appreciative of.

I have had various pregnancy fears to deal with. Some of them were caused by reading panicky message board posts, while others were caused by my own experiences. Regardless of the causes of your pregnancy fears, they are not fun and can easily suck the joy out of a long awaited pregnancy if you let them. I realized after reading Mum on the Brink’s blog post what never crossed my mind when I’ve worried over my pregnancy fears, and it’s something that not everyone is so lucky to have.

I have never worried about a medical bill. I have never stressed about insurance co-pays or coverage.

You see, I don’t have to.

It’s not because we’re so very wealthy that money is no object. We don’t use five dollar bills in place of toilet paper or whatever other bit of ridiculousness one can think of. It’s because we live in Canada.

Even at twelve weeks pregnant, some women are worrying about their health coverage (or lack of it) and how they will be able to afford the co-pays. And let’s face it; obstetric care can be expensive, particularly if you’re high risk. But for the low price of around $140 per month, Medical Service Plan of British Columbia covers every doctor and hospital visit we could ever need. Lab testing is also covered. When Norton was born, I never saw a single medical bill. That included my seeing a high risk doctor throughout my pregnancy, my gestational diabetes counseling with Dr. M (head of the diabetic unit at the hospital), my c-section, and my four day stay in a private hospital suite.

I remember worrying about medical co-pays when I lived in the States. I grew up without health insurance. My father was self-employed and didn’t have it, and we made far too much to qualify for any sort of aid. And even if we had qualified, my father’s pride wouldn’t have allowed for it. It took a few years after living up here to stop worrying about the cost of medical. And you know, now that I’ve adjusted to having this kind of coverage, I’d never go back to any other way. I love the fact that I never, ever have to worry about being able to afford my health care.

In other provinces, it works differently. Some provinces have higher taxes, but they have absolutely no end user charge with their provincial health coverage. (I think that’s how OHIP, Ontario’s plan, works.) Here in BC, MSP works on a sliding scale based on the family’s income.

It’s not like that everywhere.

That’s why I’m very, very grateful for not having that worry. What are you grateful for today?